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Granite State Debates, 2nd CD: Women's issues

The candidates in the 2nd Congressional District discuss women's issues, including equal pay.

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Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Oct 28, 2014

Granite State Debates, 2nd CD: Women's issues

The candidates in the 2nd Congressional District discuss women's issues, including equal pay.

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Updated: 8:30 PM EDT Oct 28, 2014

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WEBVTT THAT IS WHAT EVERY EXPERT HAS SAID IN THE FIELD. LET'S MOVE FORWARD. THE NEXT QUESTION GOING TOWARDS MISS GARCIA. CONGRESSWOMAN KUSTER, ACTUALLY. THIS IS A PRETTY HISTORIC NIGHT. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN STATE HISTORY, WE HAVE A DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN NOMINEE WHO ARE BOTH WOMEN FOR A MAJOR OFFICE, AND YET ON WOMEN'S ISSUES, THERE APPEARS TO BE DISAGREEMENT. I WANT TO START WITH YOU, CONGRESSWOMAN KUSTER. DO YOU BELIEVE MOST WOMEN RECEIVE FAIR TREATMENT AND FAIR PAY AT WORK, AND IF NOT, HOW CAN THAT BE REMEDIED? I THINK IT IS A CRITICAL ISSUE. IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, WOMEN EARN ON AVERAGE $.78 FOR EVERY ONE DOLLAR THAT A MALE EARNS FOR THE SAME WORK. THAT IS THE CRITICAL POINT. I HAVE HEARD MY OPPONENT THAT IN THE PAST, PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT. WE HAVE AN EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE TO RID YOU BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE PAID FAIRLY, EQUALLY. I ALSO BELIEVE IN THE MINIMUM WAGE. 2/3 OF MINIMUM-WAGE WORKERS ARE WOMEN. WE NEED TO LIFT EVERYONE UP. THESE AREN'T JUST WOMEN'S ISSUES. THESE ARE FAMILY ISSUES. THEY GO TO THE CRUX OF OUR ECONOMY, AND WE NEED TO BE GROWING OUR ECONOMY. DO YOU THINK MOST WOMEN RECEIVE FAIR TREATMENT AND FAIR PAY AT WORK? I THINK WOMEN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE JUST AS MEN DO FOR THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE PAY THAT THEY DESERVE. THE EQUAL PAY ACT THAT ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING, WHICH IS PREVENT DISCRIMINATION IN WAGES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN, WAS PASSED IN 1963. I KNOW REPRESENTATIVE PASTOR HAS BEEN USING THE RECENT VERSION OF THAT IS SOME SORT OF POLITICAL TALKING POINT, BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE STUDY THAT THE ISSUE HAS BEEN BASED ON HAS BEEN DECISIVELY REFUTED BY ECONOMISTS. WHEN YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE DIFFERENCES IN OCCUPATION, EDUCATION, JOB TENURE, AND HOURS WORKED, YOU FIND THAT THE WAGE GAP ALL BUT VANISHES. I SUPPORT WOMEN OF COURSE HAVING EQUAL PAY, OR ONE OF MORE THAN MEN, BUT JUST NAMING LEGISLATION DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT WILL HELP TO RID IT ACTUALLY MIGHT LIMIT YOUR OPTIONS IN TERMS OF NEGOTIATING YOUR SALARY. CONGRESSWOMAN? I THINK IT IS NAÏVE. I HAVE TALKED TO THOUSANDS OF WOMEN ACROSS THE STATE WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED IT IN THE WORKFORCE. I DON'T THINK IT IS SOMETHING WE ARE MAKING UP FRANKLY. I KNOW VOTERS FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT GETTING PAID FAIRLY. THEY DESERVE THAT. MISS GARCIA? IT HAS BEEN DECISIVELY REFUTED BY ECONOMISTS, AND WHEN YOU PUT IN MANDATES LIKE THIS, YOU LIMIT WOMEN'S OPTIONS TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR WAGE AND OTHER DECISIONS. FLEX TIME, PART-TIME, WORKING FROM HOME, ALL THESE THINGS

Granite State Debates, 2nd CD: Women's issues

The candidates in the 2nd Congressional District discuss women's issues, including equal pay.